Aida - English National Opera, 8 November 2007
This Aida's pre-production buzz focussed on the costume and set designs of Zandra Rhodes (right - check out her fab perspex strippah platforms).
And they didn't disappoint. As if April's Houston staging wasn't bright enough, the psychedelic butterfly colours of the updated ENO version scream even louder. Design elements are unified by the bold overlay of Zandra's trademark hieroglyphics, which provide a neat and natural complement to the ancient Egyptian theme.
The constraints of the typical ENO microbudget are not at all obvious in the sumptuous-looking costumes, cheaply but effectively based on lavish quantities of economical sari fabrics, and accessorised with bucketloads of body paint. (More pics and comments below).
The sets though do suffer from a cheap flatpack look which even splash-bright paint can't quite conceal. The curiously amateurish lighting tended to expose this, while failing to illuminate the singers adequately at key moments. This wasn't so obvious from the stalls, but people in the balcony were complaining afterwards about how dim and dingy a lot of scenes appeared.
Director Jo Davies claimed to have focussed her attention on the intimate episodes of the work, but these were stiffly presented, anonymous, devoid of the psychological or political insight which is just begging to be exploited in Aida. It was the big crowd scenes, especially the central triumphal march (expertly choreographed and complete with sail-eared sari fabric elephant) which really impressed.
If only Edward Gardner's conducting had been as colourful as Zandra's costumes. Despite rattling along at a fair clip it was a largely workmanlike performance, with few moments of either exuberance or sensitivity. Again, the bigger numbers worked well, but a few more reflective moments would have been welcome.
At first it looked as if the singing would be a major disappointment. Initially Claire Rutter (Aida), Jane Dutton (Amneris) and John Hudson (Radamès) simply disappeared beneath the orchestra. Rutter and Dutton had worked up some volume by the third act, but it was a problem Hudson, despite his neatly-placed notes, never quite overcame. It was thrown into sharp relief by the Coliseum-filling voice of Andrew Rees as Messenger, attractively bright, ringing and open.
Brindley Sherratt as Ramfis and Gwynne Howell as the King had an appropriately sonorous dignity, though, in this production, rather a backseat role. Iain Paterson as Amonasro impressed most, a commanding voice and dramatic presence. And not to forget the ENO Chorus, who were effortlessly superb throughout with a driving energy and commitment, not to mention clear diction. These performances were the real highlights of a production which for all its design accomplishments didn't have much else to linger in the memory.
Some curtain call pics:
Below - Claire Rutter (Aida) in her black and gold final act costume. The arm bracelets are painted on. Before she was revealed as a king's daughter, she wore a simpler beige and orange dress.
Below - Brindley Sherratt (Ramfis) and Gwynne Howell (King). Ramfis wears a crinolined skirt of gold pleated lame and a bald cap painted with bold blue stripes. His 'leopard' wrap is made of painted leather. The other priests wore the same skirt, but went bare chested. The turquoise and gold colour scheme was used for the whole court. The King wears golden bracelets, but most of the cast had their jewellery painted on.
Below - Ethiopians. These costumes were inspired by African tribal wear. The other costumes are based on Egyptian funerary paintings. Behind the Ethiopians are the priestesses in their turquoise and gold, each costume subtly different.
Below - Ramfis, Amneris, Aida, Radamès and Amonasro. Amneris wore a towering dreadlock wig to indicate her rank. Both Amneris and Radamès sport huge mirrored pendants (by Andrew Logan) which sparkled and caught the light. Poor Radamès suffers a mad sk8er goatee for that authentic whatevah-BC look.
"
Recent Comments